Machine for soldering end seams of cans.



5 0 9 1 1 1 Y L U 0 D E T N E m A P G. H STEWART.

MACHINE FOR SOLDE RING ENDSEAMS 0F CANS.

APFLIUATION FILED NOV. 88,1904.

UNITED STATES Patented July 11, 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

GEORGE H. STEWART, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR SOLDERING END SEAMS OF CANS- SPEGIFIGATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 794,692, dated July 11, 1905.

Original application filed July 20, 1904, Serial No. 217,407. Dividedand this application filed November 28, 1904. Serial No. 234,570-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. STEWART, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Machines for Soldering End Seams of Cans, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machinery for the end-seaming of cans, and is ofthe class in which the cans are moved successively and continuously tothe soldering-point.

It is designed to secure automatic sealingof the end seams withcertainty and economy by heating the cans prior to applying the solderand applying and melting the solder upon the heated can. I

In this machine I have embodied the solderfeedinginvention shown in anapplication filed by me in the United States Patent Oflice on the 20thday of July, 1904, Serial No. 217,407, of which this is a division.

My said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the machine in which my invention isembodied; Fig. 2, an end view of the same, partly in section. Figs. 3and 4 show details on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a detail view of therelative arrangement of the pawl and ratchet.

In the form of machine shown in the drawings the cans are rolled uponways in a manner substantially the same as that in wellknown use. Theways are on a bed suitably supported, as indicated in the drawings, andare composed conveniently of angle-irons, one on a higher plane than theother, as clearly indicated at 5 and 6 in Fig. 2. These tracks extend,as illustrated in Fig. 1, through the length of the machine and carrythe cans 8 in the position shown .in these figures, although the cansmay be nearer each other. These cans, it will be understood, are formedof bodies which have usually been first sideseamed and have the headsplaced thereon,

means of a continuously-moving endless chain 9, carried on groovedwheels 10 10, driven through any suitable mechanisms. The chain moves inthe direction of the arrow, and its lower or directly-operative partrests directly upon the cans, and thus rolls them along.

The seams are first fluxed by any wellknown suitable fluxing devices-forexample, such as those shown on the left of Fig. 1.

There are various means for applying heat to cans, and I have indicatedsuch of convenient form, consisting of liquid or vapor or gas burnerslocated at the various points 17 in Fig. 1. pipe 19, on the horizontalpart of which the burners are supported and arranged in such positionsand in such numbers as to heat the cans before they reach the solderingdevices and to such a degree that the solder may be suitably meltedthereon, and it is essential that the heating device, whatever itscharacter, shall be located in such place or places on the line of themoving cans that these cans will be heated before they arrive at thatpart of the way where the solder is to be applied and heated to such adegree that the solder may be effectively applied by means of the heatof the cans. The point where the application of the soldering begins isindicated in Fig. 1 at 62, which marks particularly the solder-wire. Abranch fuel-supply pipe 20 is carried around the soldering position, andhas a burner at its end (shown at 21) which may be used whenevernecessary to maintain the heat of the can after the solder has beenapplied.

The position and general character of the solder-feeding devices areshown in Figs. 1 and 2; but the precise construction is more clearlyshown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The devices for advancing the solder-wire intermittingly aresubstantially the same as those shown in my aforesaid application, aswill be hereinafter described.

A standard 25 on the base carries in suit able bearings a shaft 27, onwhich, loosely mounted, is a sprocket-wheel 28, driven by These aresupplied through a fuelany suitable mechanism-'such, for example, as thechain and its connections, (sufliciently shown on the left of Fig. 1.)This sprocketwheel is in frictional contact (regulated by a spring 72and the nut 71 on the end of the shaft) with a wheel 7 3, fixed on theshaft, the friction being sufficient to drive the feeding mechanism whenit is unimpeded. Between the standard 25 and the bearing 26, supportedthereon, are the immediate feeding devices. Of these is a pinion 50,fixed on shaft 27, and a milled grooved wheel 51 on the same shaft andon a counter-shaft 27 asimilar wheel and gear 51 and 50, 50 being inmesh with gear 50 and wheel 51, forming, with 51, the gripping means forthe solder which passes between them. The construction is such that whenpower is applied to drive the sprocket-wheel it will feed the wireunless force be interposed sufficient to overcome the friction betweenthe sprocket and the fixed wheel 73. Without such impediment the devicewould feed constantly; but the conditions of automatic soldering for thebest effect require that the solder should be applied at properintervals. To this end I fix on the shaft 27 an escapement-wheel 69, inpossible engagement with which at times is an arresting-pawl 70, carriedon a bar 67, reciprocating vertically in proper guides. The pawl isadjustable vertically on the rod 67 and is fixed rigidly in adjustedposition. The parts are so arranged that when the bar is down the pawlis in engagement with the ratchetwheel 69 and the feeding mechanisms arearrested, and the sprocket-wheel 28, overcoming its frictionalresistance with the wheel 73, moves without effect. The point is torelease the solder-feeding mechanism at the proper instant and to allowthe solder to be fed during the proper time and then to cease operation.To effect this, the bar 67 is extended down through a suitable guide 67into range with the rolling cans and is provided with anantifriction-roller 67*, which directly rides upon the can. A guide-arm93, pivoted to an arm 64: on standard 25, serves to guide thesolder-wire 62, this wire passing through a keeper (Set on the guide 67and through a hole 93 in the guide-arm 93 in proper relation to the seamto be soldered. As the roller rides upon the can it lifts the bar 67,disengaging the pawl, and thus releases the ratchet and feed mechanism.The wire 62, fed down through the guidessby the wheels 51 51, is forcedthrough the hole 93 in the guide-arm 93 and is laid by the movement ofthe can directly upon the hot can in proper relation to the seam to besoldered. The advance of the can continues this effect until the rollerhas ridden over the can and descended a certain distance on the rearside, when the bar 67 is permitted to bring the pawl into engagementwith the ratchet-wheel, which arrests the wheel and the feed. Thisarrest need not be immediately upon the dropping of the pawl. The teethof the ratchetwheel may be so spaced, as shown in Fig. 5, as to continuethe feed for a certain predetermined time after the descent of the pawl,a space regulated according to the amount of wire found proper to be fedand depending in part at least upon the diameter of the can. Ordinarilyone application of the solder is sufficient. As it is wiped upon the hotcan it melts and flows throughout the entire circumference; but a secondor more solder-feeding mechanisms may be placed in line farther forwardto apply solder on other parts of the circumference.

As above indicated, the amount of a single feed of solder depends inthis apparatus not only upon the length of time occupied by the pawl inreturning to its position, but upon the spacing of the teeth, whichafter the disengagement of the pawl governs the distance theratchet-wheel may move over a predeter mined space before the succeedingtooth engages the pawl.

I do not limit myself to one feed mechanism nor to the fact that onefeed mechanism acts on the whole of the scam. I do not limit myself tothe roller on the end of the bar, as other means may be used to causethe can to lift the pawl through the movement of the can.

I claim as my invention' 1. In a machine for soldering end seams of cansand in combination, a way for the cans, means for rolling the cansthereon, a solderfeed mechanism having an arm arranged to be moved bythe rolling can, and controlling the feed of the solder when so moved,means for directing the solder upon the rolling can and means forheating 'the cans before they reach the soldering mechanisms,substantially as described.

2. In a can-soldering machine, and in combination, a way on which thecans are rolled, mechanism for moving the cans, mechanism forcontrolling the feed of the solder through the movement of the cans,including a device arranged in the path of the cans and to ride over therolling cans, and means for heating the cans before they reach thesoldering mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a solder-feeding mechanism, a ratchetwheel having spaces betweenits teeth corresponding to the amount of solder-feed required, a pawlfor arresting the ratchet-wheel, mechanism carrying the pawl and inrange of the moving cans, whereby the pawl may be released from thewheel and the feed be started and continued until the pawl comes intocontactwith the next succeeding tooth of the ratchet-wheel.

I. In a machine for soldering end seams of In testimony whereof Iaflixmy signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE H. STEWART.

. Witnesses:

HENRY E. COOPER, EDWARD N. SARTON.

